Machine for treating flax or other fiber-yielding plants



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. E. BOSSE.

MACHINE FOR TREATING PLAX OR OTHER FIBER YIBLDING PLANTS. No. 485,734 Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. BO'SSE. MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX OR OTHER FIBER YIELDING PLANTS. No. 485,734. Patented Nov.8, 1892.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3" E. BOSSE.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX OR OTHER FIBER YIELDING PLANTS.

No. 485,734. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

a m f f (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shet 4.

E. BOSSE. MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX OR OTHER FIBER YIELDING PLANTS. No. 485,734. Patented NOV. 8,1892.

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UNHE STATES PATENT {OFFICE}. A

EUGENE BOSSE, or sr. PAUL PARK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To CHARLES N. BELL, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX OR OTHER FIBER-YIELDING PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 485,734, dated November 8, 1892. Application filed December 27, 1890- $erial No. 375.932- (No model.)

accompanying drawings, and to the letters of:

reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The main object of my invention is to break,

loosen, and separate the boon or woody portion from the line or fiber of flax and other fiber-yielding plants.

It consists, essentially, of breaking and cleaning rollers arranged in an endless series of pairs, together with a discharging device and means of feeding the material to the machine, and, further, of a detachable cleaning device comprising holding and cleaning rollers, the latter driven at a higher speed than the former, and of certain other peculiarities of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly described, and point' ed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing the gearing forconnecting and driving the inner circle of rollers. Fig. 2 is an ele- 3 5 Vation of the discharging end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section cutting the rollers transversely. Fig.4 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the cleaning attachment detached from the machine; and Fig. 5 is a de- 40 tail View of a portion of the discharging device.

A represents the frame of the machine, of any suitableshape and construction. It may be conveniently composed of two side plates or castings formed or provided with bearings for the roller shafts or journals and rigidly connected by cross-rods a a.

B, B, B and B represent longitudinally corrugated or fluted rollers arranged in circular series and radially impairs, the corrugations or fluting of each pair intermeshing.

These rollers may be made of any suitable material, such as iron or wood, and the corrugations or fluting may be of the usual or any suitable form for the purpose, such as will most effectually break, loosen, .and remove the boon or woody portion of the material without breaking or injuring the line or fiber.

The journals of theinner circle of rollersB 6o Bare preferably supported in fixed bearings, while the journals of the outer rollers are supported in radially-movable boxes b b, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit said rollers BB B to yield outwardly to obstructions or varying mass of material passing between them and the inner rollers B B.

The outer rollers B B B are held with a yielding pressure in engagement with the inner rollers B B, adjacent thereto, by springs O G, interposed between the movable boxes 5 b and cap-plates c 0, attached to frame A across the outer ends of the ways in which said boxes are held.

The inner rollers B B are driven 'by a gear D, meshing with pinions b b, mounted upon the projecting ends of the journals of said rollers at one side of the machine, and the outer rollers B 13 B are driven from the inner rollers B B by the engagement of the cor- So rugations or fluting thereon. The gear D is fixed upon one end of a central transverse shaft d, which is provided at the opposite side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, with a gear D, meshing with a pinion E on a parallel counter-shaft e.

The counter-shaft 6 may be conveniently provided with bearings in an auxiliary frame F at one side of the machine and is provided with tight and loose pulleys E E by which 0 the mechanism may be connected through a belt with any convenient driving-pulley and set in motion or stopped by shifting the belt upon the tight or loose pulley, as desired.

It is obvious that any other suitable and 5 convenient driving connections may be employed in place of those shown and described.

The rollersB B of the inner circle or series are preferably all made of the same size or diameter, and the pinions b b, all being of the same size and meshing with the central driving-gear D, give to said rollers, as well as those of the outer circle or series in engagement therewith, the same rate of peripheral speed, whereby injurious drawing or pulling and severance of the fiber are avoided.

The circle of the outer series of rollers B B B being larger than that of the inner series there is consequently a greater space between rollers in the outer circle than between those of the same size or diameter in the inner circle. For this reason and to prevent the material from falling through the spaces between the outer rollers I prefer to make the lower rollers B B of the outer circle or series of larger diameter, thereby reducing such spaces in size, so as to retain the material in its course between the outer and inner series of rollers until it is desired to discharge the same from the machine.

The rollers B B may all be made of the same size or diameter, and the outer receiving-roller B need not necessarily be made of much, if any, greater diameter than the inner roller B, with which it engages. It is desirable, however, to reduce the space between said roller B and the roller B next below it as much as the feeding of the material into the machine will conveniently permit.

The machine is provided at one end with a feeding table or leaf G, upon which the material is spread or placed to be fed between the adjacent rollers into the machine. This table or leaf is preferably made detachable for the purpose of' removing and getting it out of the way when the machine is not in use or is to be transported, and of affording more easy access to the adjacent rollers and the interior parts of the machine. To this end any convenient form of detachable fastenings maybe employed. The tableis preferably set at an upward inclination toward its inner end, so as to more effectually direct the material between the roller B and the adjacent roller B, and thereby facilitate feeding the machine. At the opposite end of the machine a laterally-movable discharge-plate H, convex on its upper side, is supported at its ends parallel with the adjacent rollers by flattened extensions 71 h, projecting through slots at a in the sides of frame A, whereby said discharge-plate is held and guided in proper position and the necessary movement thereof is permitted to carry it into and out of the path of the material passing between the circular series of rollers B B B 13 The outwardly-projecting ends of the extensions 71. h are connected by links I I with the upper ends of Vibratory arms J J, which are fixed at their lower ends to a horizontal rock-shaft K, having bearings in frame A near the base of the machine and provided with an outwardlyprojecting foot-lever k,whereby the dischargeplate H may be moved'outwardly into the path of the material passing between the circular series of rollers, so as to deflect the same outwardly and discharge'it from the machine. A spring It serves to return and hold the discharge-plate H in .its mormal position inside and clear of the material passing between the rollers in a circular path, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

H is a plate fixed at the ends to the sides of frame A and overhanging the outer portion of the outer roller B next below the discharge-plate H, the outer edge of which when moved into its outer discharging position projects over the inner edge of said plate H, so as to conduct the fiber discharged out of contact with the rollers next below said plates.

A slight downward inclination is given to the plates H and H toward their outer edges, so as to facilitate the discharge of the fiber.

The circular series of rollers hereinbefore described are sufiicient for the treatment of material of the usual nature under ordinary conditions; but it sometimes occurs-as, for instance, when flax is green or imperfectly retted-that the boon or shives will not be perfectly and entirely separated from the I provide a cleaning attachment consisting of a detachable chute L, constituting when in position an extension of the plate H, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and provided with one or more pairs of cleaning-rollers N N, arranged to operate upon the material passing between and held by the rollers M M. I have shown as a convenient arrangement for the purpose two pairs of holding-rollers and a single pair of cleaning-rollers located between them.

The holding-rollers M M are preferably corrugated .or fluted like those hereinbefore described and are given by suitable gearing or driving connections about the same rate of peripheral speed as is given to the rollers of the endless or circular series. The cleaningrollers N N, provided with longitudinal blades, wings, or beatersthose of one roller alternating with those of the otherare driven at a higher rate of speed than the holding-rollers M M, so as to produce a slight rubbing action on the fiber held between the rollers M M. The lower of each pair of holding-rollers is driven from the upper roller by the engagement of the corrugations or fluting thereon. The upper roller M of the pair nearest the main machine has mounted upon its projecting shaft or journal at one end three pulleys m, m, and m and is driven from a pulley d on the shaft 01 by a beltconmeeting it with the pulley m, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Upon the corresponding end of the shaft or journal of the upper roller M of the outer pair are mounted two similar pulleys m and m, and upon corresponding journals or ends of the shafts of the cleaningrollers N N are mounted smaller pulleys n n, one on the journal or shaft of the upper roller in line with the pulley m with which it is connected by a straight belt, and the other on the journal or shaft of the lower roller in nected byacrossed belt. A belt connects the pulleys m and m and drives the rollers M of the outer pair-at the same rate of speed and in the same directions as the rollers of the inner pair are driven.

The chute L may be firmly supported at its outer end by braces Z Z, extending therefrom downwardly to the sides of frame A. This attachment when not needed can be readily detached from the machine and laid.

rangement of the parts composing the machine may be made without change in the mode of operation of the machine or departure from the spirit of my invention.

My improved machine operates as follows:

i The flax or other stuff to be treated is spread upon the table Gand fed by the operator underneath the roller B which carries it between itself and the adjacent roller B, passing thence upward between the next pair of rollers, and so on in succession between the sev eral pairs of rollers. The woody portion of the stalks is broken, loosened, and separated from the fiber by the combined bending, crushing, and rubbing action of the corrugations or fiuting of the rollers. It is permitted to make the circuit of the endless series of rollers a greater or less number of times, according to the nature and condition of the material, until the desired result is attained, when the operator at the discharging end of the machine throws the plate 11 outwardly into the path traversed by the material, which is thereby defiected from its course and directed over the plate H out of the machine, or, when the auxiliary attachment shown in Fig. at is used, into the chute L and between the first pair of holding-rollers M M and thence between the cleaning-rollers N N and the last or outer pair of holding-rollers M M. The continuous action of the rollers B B B B is limited only at the will of the attendant who operates the discharging mechanism. The rollers M M hold the fiber in place while the cleaning-rollers remove any remaining shives or refuse from the fiber left clinging thereto by the rollers 13 B B B Ordinarily the first or circular series of rollers will thoroughly break, loosen, and remove the boon or shives from the fiber, performing in a single operation what has heretofore been performed in separate operations, breaking and scutching either manually or by machinery; but to provide for the removal of any refuse which may be left adhering to the fiber under certain conditions of the material the auxiliary cleaning attachment, hereinbefore described, may be employed, as occasion may require.

In practice two attendants are employed with the machine, one for feeding the material there o and the other for operating the discharging device and receiving the material or fiber as it is discharged.

It will be obvious to one familiar with this classof machines that the construction herein described and shown possesses, among other advantages, great economy of space, cost of construction, and power, the machine being compact, simple, and of comparativelylight weight, bringing it within the reach of many persons and rendering its use possible in many places where other more costly and cumbersome machines cannot be used to advantage.

I claim- 1. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination,with a suitable frame, of an endless series of pairs of corrugated or fiuted rollers, the several pairs being placed in sufficiently-close proximity to direct the material from o'he pair between the next in acontinuous course through the machine, the peripheries of each pair of rollers working with each other, driving mechanism by which said rollers are rotated, and feeding and discharging devices by which the material to be operated upon is directed into .and discharged from the machine while it is in operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of an endless series of rollers arranged in pairs, between which the material is arranged to pass a number of times in succession, and a deflector movable into the path of the material, so as to discharge the same from the machine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of circular series of rollers arranged radially in pairs, a feeding-table, and a deflector movable into the path of the material, so as to dis charge the same when desired, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, a number of pairs of rollers arranged in a circular series, the rollers of the outer circle on the under side of the machine being of greater diameter, so as to bring them closer together and prevent the material from escaping between them, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of an endless series of pairs of breaking-rollers, a shifting discharge-plate, and a detachable auxiliary cleaning device comprising one or more pairs of holding-rollers, and a pair of cleaning-rollers having a more rapid rate of peripheral rotation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination, with a suitable frame, of corrugated or fluted rollers arranged in an endless series of pairs in suffioiently-close proximity with each other to direct the material from one pair between the next in a continuous course through the machine, driving mechanism for rotating said rollers, and a suitable discharging device by which the material is ejected from the machine while it is in operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of an endless series of pairs of rollers between which the material to be treated may be made to pass a number of times in succession, and a discharging device consisting of a laterallymovable plate and vibratory arms connected with the ends of said plate and arranged to move the same into and out of the path of the material passing between said rollers, sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination, with a suitable frame, of corrugated or fluted breaking and cleaning rollers arranged in substantially-concentric circles and radially in pairs in sufficiently-close proximity to direct the material from one pair between the next in a continuous course through the machine, the rollers of the inner circle engaging with and driving the rollers of the outer circle, which are supported in outwardly-yielding bearings, a driving-gear engaging with pinions on the inner circle of roller-shafts, and feeding and discharging devices arranged to feed the material into and discharge it from the machine while it is in operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of an endless series of breaking-rollers, a laterallymovable discharging-plate with mechanism for projecting the same into the path of the material passing between said rollers, and a transverse guard-plate overhanging the outer roller of the pair next below said movable dischargeplate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a machine for treating flax and other fiber-yielding plants, the combination of a number of pairs of corrugated or fluted rollers arranged in an endless circle or .SBI'IQS, with the peripheries of each pair workingtogether, the outer roller of each pair being mounted in yielding bearings, so as to permit it to recede from the adjacent inner roller, the inner circle or series of rollers being all of the same diameter and provided w1th p 1nions of uniform size, a central gear meshing with said several pinions, whereby the inner rollers are all driven at a uniform rate of speed, the several pairs of rollers being placed in sufficiently-close proximity wlth each other to direct the material from one pair between another in a continuous course through the machine, and a discharging device under the control of the operator by which the material is ejected while the machine is in operation, substantially as and for the purposes set f0rth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE BOSSE. Witnesses:

EDWARD C. MILLER, CHAS. N. BELL. 

